Pondicherry

After lighting up the night on Diwali, we skipped town the next morning and spent two nights just outside Pondicherry, hoping things might be quieter. They were, and we had a nice little vacation, despite being rained on every day. Yay, monsoon!

Pondicherry was a French colony that was turned over to the Indian government in the 1950s, and its history gives it a different feel to what we've seen in India so far. It's an almost three-hour drive from Chennai down the East Coast Road, through some pretty rural areas and with nice views of the Bay of Bengal.

You might also know Pondicherry from the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In the book, Charlie's Grandpa Joe tells a story about the Prince of Pondicherry, who gets Willy Wonka to build him a castle made of chocolate. Johnny and I couldn't help laughing about this while we were there.

We stayed just north of the city at a fun, unique resort called Dune Eco Village. All of the rooms are in separate bungalows, some air conditioned, some "nature cooled," and some with wacky themes. Here we are walking the path back to our bungalow from breakfast on our last morning. To our left is one of the bigger A/C bungalows and in front of us is the Tower Room, no kids allowed.

We stayed in the Bamboo House, which was "nature cooled." That means it was open to the air (and rain and mosquitoes), so staying there was a little like camping, only with hot running water and a bed. Luxury camping?

Evie's holding a bowl full of shells she gathered at the beach. It was a very good beach for shell seekers. We found all shapes, sizes and colors.

The kids had a grand time getting dirty in the garden. They found tadpoles, a toad, various lizards and I'm not sure I want to know what else.

The walls were made of woven mats, which didn't meet the thatched roof. The sleeping area and a bathroom were inside the bungalow, and the living room/sitting area was outside. Thank heaven for mosquito nets!

Here's Johnny reading by lantern after Samuel and Evie were in bed. The kids had fun playing in the dark with flashlights.

To get to the resort we drove through a small village. Here's a photo of a typical house there. Our bungalow was an upscale version of this, with electricity, running water, and room service.

We arrived in the early afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day settling in and exploring the resort, which is also a working organic farm. Here are some farm workers harvesting something that probably ended up in our breakfast the next morning.

And here's my first close-up view of a rice paddy. I'm sure there will be many more to come.

The kids got to help milk the cows. Evie was particularly thrilled with this. It surprised me a little. She's usually content to watch things that might seem "icky" from a distance.

We spent some time walking the beach and relaxing by the pool, which extends out over a brushy area.

Evie just recently dropped the water wings. I can't believe how quickly she and Johnny have taken to swimming! I suppose it helps to be living in an endless summer.

Let me tell you, these kids live a rough life ...

In the evenings there were activities like balloon shooting (Johnny's a good shot!) and pottery making. Here's Johnny working on the pottery wheel.

And Evie showing off her creation.

That night it rained pretty heavily, but we were dry and comfy in our bungalow. After a great South Indian breakfast we headed into town to explore Pondicherry. Our first stop was to the Ganesh Temple to be blessed by the temple elephant, Lakshmi. Here she is in her glory, complete with sacred markings, bells and silver anklets. If you give her a coin or a treat to eat, Lakshmi will tap you lightly on the head as a blessing.

I love this photo of Johnny. He was so excited to be this near an elephant ... finally! He's been looking for elephants since we got here in June.

And here's Samuel getting his blessing.

I must admit to having mixed feelings about Lakshmi. Temple elephants are an old tradition in India and represent the living form of the god Ganesh. There were tourists visiting Lakshmi for fun, but there were also many devout Hindus who obviously revered her. Many temple elephants are honored and treated quite well. Many others are abused and unhealthy. Lakshmi seemed to my untrained eye to be reasonably happy, and I noticed that she was not chained (one of the things activists often complain about). Here's a link with more about Lakshmi, and here's one that touches on the controversy.

I hadn't had a chance to explore a Hindu temple yet, so Johnny and I removed our shoes and walked through the parts non-Hindus are allowed to see. It was full of people offering sacrifice and doing puja before the priests. I was struck by the color, scents, and busyness of it all, in design, decor, and in the actions of the worshippers.

One last look at Lakshmi.

Next we walked around the French Quarter. It had cobblestone streets and French colonial buildings. I was reminded a bit of New Orleans.

We spent some time in the Pondicherry Museum, a small place with lots of interesting stuff crammed inside. I have no idea how things are staying in such good shape, though. There was a whole room full of French colonial furniture with the windows wide open to the humidity, and many of the display cases were broken.

Here's a photo Johnny calls "Ancient Chola Pillar with Modern Tourist."

They had a really informative section on beadmaking and trading, and then there were these gems: copper plates from the 14th century and a book made of wooden slats (didn't get the date).

After lunch overlooking the Bay of Bengal, we explored the Promenade, where this huge statue of Gandhi has his back to the ocean.

John saw these rocks, so of course we had to walk out onto them.

Then we went back to the resort for more swimming, lounging, and shooting. After another night of rain (not quite as comfy, as a small leak developed right over my head), we had a leisurely breakfast and headed back home. It was a nice little adventure!